It's Coming On Christmas, They're Cutting Down Trees
by Exquisiteliltart
Summary: Swan Queen, Christmas themed one shot. Regina and Emma pick out the perfect Christmas tree. Title from "River" by Joni Mitchell.


**A/N: As I was working on this random Christmas one shot my phone rang and my friend asked me what I was doing. I said, "I'm lying in bed writing a story." She said "Did you just say that you're lying in bed drinking a 40? I used to do that sometimes…." **

…

As beautiful and scenic as the woods of Storybrooke were, it was cold. A light snowfall had started and it was almost dark. They weren't going to be able to see the perfect Christmas tree even if it was right in front of them. Honestly, all the trees looked the same to Emma. There were some that were obviously deformed and missing limbs or completely lopsided, but for the most part a pine tree was a pine tree.

After following Regina through brambles and thorn bushes for what felt like hours, Emma was cold and rapidly becoming exasperated. Regina had made about twenty declarative statements that she had found the perfect Christmas tree for Henry, but upon further inspection there was always a fatal flaw and they moved on and on.

Emma had played along for up until now, but her patience was running out and so were the heat packs she had stuffed down her jeans. "This one looks good." She paused by a seven foot tall tree; the ground was littered with pine cones and the snow was slowly accumulating on the greenery giving it a picturesque quality that Bob Ross would have been proud of: a happy tree. A fucking tree already. She didn't give a damn anymore.

Regina stopped and backpedaled, the look of sheer determination wearing on her face. She was bundled up in a fancy parka, a fur hat and matching mittens, but even she had to be getting cold. "Hmm…too wide…I want a classic look."

Emma contained her frustration, but she seriously questioned Regina's choices when the woman was faulting the tree for being too fat. "So you want a taller, thinner tree?"

"I'll know it when I see it, Emma. Onward."

This Christmastime field trip was supposed to be a magic lesson, and Regina was supposed to teach her how to magically cut and levitate a tree, but Emma's palms remained cold; her magic was geared up and ready just beneath the surface.

Magic gift wrapping had gone better. Not only had Emma learned the art of magically conjured scotch tape, she'd also mastered perfectly folded corners and decorative ribbon tying. That holiday educational experience had been much for fun, and much warmer.

So they trekked on. The ground was now blanketed in snow and a bit slippery as they climbed another hill and watched the sun set. Emma was thirsty and she would have brought a thermos and granola bars if she had known this was to be an all day excursion. She hoped the levitation spell was easy as her energy was depleted and the hike out there had been so long that she had lost track of how many miles they had wandered into the forest.

At the risk of sounding whiny, she finally stopped walking and it only took Regina moment to stop and turn around. "What now?"

"I'm tired. I need a break. I didn't know tree hunting was such a delicate art form, or that it would take all night."

"You know I want to find the perfect tree to make Christmas for Henry special."

Emma knew that with all the video games and comic books she had wrapped up for him, he wouldn't be concerned with the tree, just what was lying under it. "Then why isn't he out here tromping around with us?"

"You know I don't like to involve him in your magic lessons. Those are just between you and I," Regina stiffened and hunched her shoulders as she put her hands in her pockets and walked closer to Emma.

"I haven't done any magic yet," Emma grumbled, as she plopped down on a fallen snowy log to rest her legs.

"You're not…this isn't…fun for you?"

The confusion and evident hesitation in Regina's voice surprised Emma. Even Martha Stewart would have settled for a less than perfect pine by this point.

"It was fun for like the first hour, but we've been out here forever and you haven't found any tree worthy yet," Emma thanked the Lord above that Storybrooke had limited shopping options. Now that she and Regina were friends it was just a matter of time until they went clothes shopping, and the thought of Regina tediously picking through a Banana Republic outlet sent chills down her spine.

The snow was coming down heavier, the temperature had dropped and Emma's breath was visible even as the wind grew stronger and carried it away in a swirl of evaporating steam.

"Perhaps, you would be keen on turning back? I can do this by myself so feel free to go."

'Here we go' Emma thought. Her impatience heightened by the cold and numbness setting into her extremities. "I'm not going to leave you out here in the dark to haul a tree back home…I'm just getting cold and hungry."

"You should have come better prepared."

Emma waited for a reassurance, like 'not that much longer now' or 'we're on the right track' or 'I'll make you lasagna tonight for your trouble', but Regina remained silent. She heaved herself up from the log, and crunched through the snow. They walked on and as the moonlight reflected off of the fresh snow, they came to a clearing. In the center of it: a tree.

Regina inhaled sharply and picked up her pace. Emma watched her walk around the tree as she inspected it from every angle. She squeezed the branches and even smelled it for the perfect evergreen scent. "This is the one. Come, dear."

"Finally," Emma murmured as she marched forward, feeling bulky in her oversized coat. "Now what?"

Regina looked annoyed as she pursed her lips, but when she glanced back at the tree she smiled widely. "Cut it down."

"How?" Emma took off her mittens and assumed her patented magic stance. That's what she liked to call it as it made her feel more powerful and sometimes shooting magic was akin to shooting a gun: there was quite a kick so she needed a low center of gravity to stay upright.

"Close your eyes; reach forward with your magic and circle it around the tree like a tight string…" Regina's instructions were always surprisingly helpful and Emma could picture here shining white thread extending from the tip of her finger and into the base of the tree. "Very good…now pull it taut."

Emma concentrated on nothing but her thin stream of magic, making it easy as if she were slicing through cookie dough. She did as Regina instructed and the tree teetered and fell over kicking up a cloud of powdery snow when it landed.

As always, Emma looked to Regina for approval and by the pleased look on her teacher's face, Emma knew she had done well. They examined the cut together, Regina pointing out that it was smooth and controlled, which made Emma beam with pride. Performing the magic correctly was a satisfying accomplishment, but there was no high that compared to receiving Regina's praise. Emma didn't know why that was, but she luxuriated in the feeling.

"Now watch me," Regina opened her palm and the tree lifted off the ground as if it were a feather floating on air. "I'm going to transfer the magic to you and your aim is to maintain the spell. Remember you're not lifting the tree's weight, it's already weightless…let it be."

This was the best part. Emma's favorite part: when Regina transferred magic to her. It felt like a kick to the cooch, but really, really good. Sinfully pleasurable.

Sometimes Emma wished she could transfer magic with Regina more often. The former mayor had never explained why it felt so sexual to Emma, and the blonde was too shy to ask. She was afraid Regina didn't feel it, but sometimes when they were practicing magic together Emma would hear her make a breathless sound or see her cheeks flush and wonder what she felt. She had to.

"Oh yeaaahhh," Emma didn't hide her shudder or the smile that bloomed on her lips when she felt Regina's magic come right on up in her. She used to fight that goodness and it left her feeling frustrated and the magic would just fizzle. Now she welcomed it into her being and seamlessly took over levitating the Christmas tree.

"Yes!" Regina closed her eyes and her lips parted sensually for a passing moment before she regained her composure. "I mean excellent control. You're really getting…erm…_fluid _and adept at the magic transfers. It's quite the progress you've made."

"I might need more practice…" Emma licked her lips at the thought. "Maybe we just lie down together and throw magic back and forth like a game of catch? That's how I got so good at softball."

Emma noticed the startled expression that her suggestion elicited from the older woman, and she felt like she'd just struck gold.

"We can discuss that option at another time," Regina said with a firm tone of dismissal and turned her back to Emma. They walked in silence: Regina in the lead, Emma following in her footsteps and the tree floating behind.

"Thank you for teaching me magic. Maybe now would be a good time to learn how to poof? Like anywhere but here, hopefully somewhere warm?" Emma could no longer feel her extremities, and she was fairly certain that her own snot was frozen in the shape of a mustache on her face.

Regina started speaking, and Emma figured it was important. Though Regina had a penchant for giving lengthy monologues it always meant something as the woman didn't just ramble about anything, and Emma figured she had better pay attention.

"Imagine what it was like to go for 28 years without a drop of magic, and when it came back…Do you know how hard I fought not to use magic for Henry? Every moment was a struggle. Then you come waltzing in bursting with magic at the seams and suddenly our son is all for your magic: your light, good magic. 'Emma has cool magic,' he says…"

Regina was jealous of her magic, or Henry's approval of it?

"Yes, and you discovered just how simple it was flip from dark magic to light. It's just a preference: like dark meat or white meat. Some people get geared up on positive vibes and other people win races by psyching up on death metal," Emma finally paused for breath, realizing she had just answered with a monologue of her own.

Regina gave her a look: the look, to be more precise. It was the one of hesitant reluctance, but meant Emma was about to get her way. Regina stopped in her tracks; she flopped out her arm and extended her hand. Emma eagerly latched her cold, hungry fingers in Regina's and poof, magic transfer lust stab, swirl of purple smoke and Emma was in Regina's front room at her house.

"Take off your boots. You're dripping."

"Where's the tree?"

"It's on the porch. You need to make sure no living creatures are nesting in our tree before you bring it in to set up."

"Sure thing. Just let me get warm for a minute," Emma was happy she didn't have to trek back through the woods. She knew that Regina was about to go make something delicious for dinner. She always tried to cover up her sheer love for feeding Emma by saying how she needed sustenance to efficiently practice magic, but if that were true she'd hand her a flavorless protein bar to cover it. No, Regina expended care and effort in each and every dish she served and Emma did not take it for granted. She never knew magic lessons came with unlimited meals.

"Hey, Mom! You got the tree?" Henry ran down the stairs holding onto the bannister for dear life as his momentum carried him forward.

"Yep."

"Cool! Is it big? Are there baby raccoons in it like last year?"

"Your mom and I spent all day picking it out," Emma flung her arm around Henry's shoulders and kissed his forehead as they headed out to check the tree for raccoons. "It was exhausting."

Dinner was delicious, no creatures called the tree home, and Regina, Emma and Henry spent the rest of the evening decorating: alternating between magic and more traditional methods. Henry placed the star on top to finish it off and Emma made it shine bright with her power.

"You were right," Emma folded her arms across her chest and whispered to Regina as all three stood back admiring their glittery, glimmering Christmas tree.

"About?" Regina asked, her eyes were shiny, her face soft and wrapped in a glow of happiness.

"_This_ is perfect."

Regina faced her, placed her hand on Emma's forearm and looked her in the eye: a dash of heat raced through her veins and hit her smack in the vag. She made sure that Henry was out of earshot.

"Your lesson is not over for today. After Henry goes to bed tonight, I think we should work on our magic transfers. You think you're exhausted now? I'm going to keep you up all night. You'll be begging me to stop, while never wanting it to end..." Regina had started another monologue and this one was definitely important and assuredly the best one Emma had heard yet.

This was going to be the best Christmas ever.


End file.
